Battlefield
by fishqueenfellytone
Summary: Sakura hated to admit the first time she truly saw Sasuke was when she was staring at him across the battlefield. She hated him, she loved him, and she chose to betray her country for him. Based on the Fourth Ninja War.


**Genre**: Adventure/ Romance

**Summary**: Sakura hated to admit the first time she truly saw Sasuke was when she was staring at him across the battlefield. Post Chapter 515.

**Disclaimer**: If I owned _Naruto_… you wouldn't even want to know. It'd be so awesome it'd blow your minds. Since I don't own it, we'll all have to settle for what it is now.

**A/N**: I'm back! Ish. If you notice, I've deleted half of my stories on my account, because I'm trying to start anew. I haven't written anything consistently and not anything I'm truly proud of, so this is an attempt. Enjoy.

**The Sacrifice**

Silence filled the air. Nobody was there except her. It was far away after all, and all the ninjas were busy helping the war effort. She would've been at the front lines, too, if it weren't for her persistent efforts to go back to Konoha, if only for a few hours. She knew that this was selfish, but she had to do it.

"Ino..." she whispered, laying her head against the tombstone, "I'll miss you, y'know? You were really selfish and super annoying, but you were still my best friend. Oh my gosh, do you remember all those stupid fights we used to have? How could we ever fight over such a stupid-" She stopped. She didn't want to remember him, or anybody associated with the Akatsuki. No, today wasn't about the war, but about them. About only them and the relationship they shared.

"Sorry, my bad. I-I remember when I was bullied and you were the only one who stepped up for me. Thanks, Ino, r-really, thanks-" She choked up a bit, but she bit her lower lip to suppress the tears from overcoming her. "L-look, I'll v-vist you another time y-you know, yeah! After the war stops. Or even better, I might join you."

She stood up and patted her skirt, getting rid of the annoying creases. It was time for her to go. There was plenty of time to come here again later. After all, Ino was in somewhere better, while she was in ... this.

"I love you."

"Sa-ku-raaaaa!"

"Yes, Pig?" Sakura replied groggily, wiping her eyes with her sleeves. "Wait, Ino!"

To her disappointment and surprise, it was Ten Ten. After Ino died, she didn't see any of her friends that much, except for Lee and Kakashi-sensei, but they weren't really much help. Kakashi was squad leader, so he spent most of his time doing planning and preparing for the battler. Lee...well, he still had a crush on her and he was a guy, so that automatically ruled him out.

She still remembered the day Ino died. She wasn't there when Ino died, but she knew it was during battle, when Ino performed her Mind Body Switch Technique on another shinobi, but the shinobi got attacked with a powerful jutsu, killing both of them immediately. Only after did she learn that the one who attacked them was Sasuke's Akatsuki squad, and more specifically, Sasuke.

Sakura knew it was war and she shouldn't expect Sasuke to spare any of them, even if they were Konoha ninjas. But somewhere in her mind she hoped that he would have some feelings, nobody how miniscule, for his old village.

"Yes, Ten Ten?" She returned to reality and looked at the girl questioningly.

Ten Ten disregarded the fact that Sakura's camp bed was tiny and sat down on it excitedly. "Guess what news I have?"

Sakura rolled her eyes. "Just tell me."

"You're no fun at all." Ten Ten pouted; an action perfected by Ino, Sakura recalled fondly. "Well, I think the war's coming to an end. Fine, not I think it is, but it really is."

This made Sakura widen her eyes in disbelief.

Ten Ten chuckled. "Knew it. Anyway, I've been listening to the higher-ups, you know, Gaara, Darui, the likes, and they all say the war is ending. Apparently Naruto's ready, he's ready to fight and overcome Madara."

Naruto. It had been forever since she last heard from him, and she was excited. She couldn't wait, she didn't want to wait, she hated her heart pounding so rapidly and the adrenaline rushing through her veins...

"HARUNO SAKURA!" A shrill voice yelled at her.

"Crap. Ihave to train now, see ya Ten Ten!" Sakura leapt onto her feet and ran out of her little tent. "For once, Kakashi is actually becoming punctual!"

Ten Ten watched Sakura run away before she could finish her piece of news: _Also, they saw him again. And you're being prepared to fight him. _

The sky was blue, the clouds were white, the sun was hot, the grass was green, the bird were chirping, it was just a freakin perfect day. At least, that's what Sakura felt. She couldn't decide which feeling was greater- the excitement of seeing Naruto, or the war coming to an end. Life could finally return to normality.

She was so happy that she had a hard time paying attention to Kakashi, who was going on about who they were fighting. She failed to notice how her squad was missing half of its members after the last attack, or how Lee was now sporting a small scar on his chin and Gai-sensei was less excited than usual.

No, she didn't notice any of them.

"So," Kakashi continued, "since the enemies left are especially strong, we have decided that there will be a special on-site medic team that will go around assisting every squad during their battles. Shizune will be the head of this squad, and ah, our own Haruno Sakura will be second-in-command."

_Huh? When did this happen? _Then she remembered Kakashi seeked her out last time to talk about something, which she hastily agreed to. But that was after Ino's death, and she was too absent-minded to pay attention. So this was what Kakashi said last time. The good thing was she preferred saving lives to destroying others', even if the lives she was sparing were the Akatsuki's. Plus, she made a better medic than fighter.

The training ended in a blur, after she sparred with Lee and some ninjas from other countries. Amongst them was her new admirer, Natsuhiko. Physically, he could give Sasuke a run for his money. He was tall, tan, and had black hair. His most attractive aspect was his ocean blue eyes, which alwaysreminded her of Naruto. In truth, he was like Naruto, only better-looking and more book smart. He was from the Lightning country and great-nephew of the Raikage, therefore explaining his physique.

All the girls in her squad, and even some from the other squads, all had a crush on him. It was amazing how easily mature, skilled kunoichis could fall in love with a hot guy.

"Hey." Natsuhiko approached her after training ended.

They had about three hours of free time each time, during which they were encouraged to be productive. Only Lee and a few other hardworking ninjas did so; most chose to give themselves a hard-earned break.

"Hi." Sakura brushed a strand of hair away from her eyes. To say the truth, she still didn't know why he liked her. She remembered how Ino starting cooing whenever he was near. It was absolutely annoying, yet so Ino-esque. For some strange reason, Ino knew he liked Sakura, and she'd always try to bring them together. Those efforts failed. Sakura had no interest in him; he was just another pretty boy. However, after Ino's death, he was the one who comforted her. He had the common sense Lee lacked, the emotions Kakashi restrained, and above all, he was always there for her.

"I brought you these." He took her hand and delicately lay something on it. It was nightshade. "I found them during the last battle, I thought they'd be of some use to you." He said lazily.

Sakura looked at the little flowers in awe. This was a critical ingredient needed in her potions; while it didn't change the chemical composition of the potions, they acted as a catalyst that made healing all the more effective. Frankly, it was also used in love potions, but it's not like Sakura needed it.

"Er, thanks." She said awkwardly. She hated being awkward, but it was always a side effect of being in Natsuhiko's presence. She knew she was pretty, yes, but not in the drop dead gorgeous way. She guessed that what attracted Natsuhiko to her was her intelligence and talent, maybe even her personality. But why? She was always nervous around him she barely showed much personality.

Natsuhiko smiled warmly and patted her head. He turned around and started leaving when Sakura called his name.

"Yes?"

"Would you like to go on a..." She didn't finish. This was embarrassing for her, but oh well-

"Of course. Tomorrow at six. I'll pick you up." He finished for her, making Sakura eternally grateful. After Sasuke, she wasn't willing to begin a romantic life, especially not ask a guy out.

She beamed. At least she now had some gossip for Ten Ten and Hinata.

When she returned to her tent, Ten Ten was long gone, but there was somebody else leaning against it.

"Yo." Kakashi looked at her through his lazy eye. "I see you're getting...chummy with a comrade?"

"Kakashi-sensei, this is none of your business!" Sakura blushed. Great, now even her ex-teacher knew of her love life.

He chuckled. "I just hope those fangirls won't kill you for stealing their beloved Natsu-kun."

She gave him the evil eye. "I know that you've got a few fangirls yourself. I bet Aiko and Cho would give me their lives just to know when and where you, ahem, _bathe_." She smirked at seeing his eyes widen by a few millimeter. She finally got a reaction out of him.

"Anyway," Kakashi returned to business-mode, all joking aside, "I hope you're okay with this new arrangement?"

"Yes. Like I've said before, I've developed war fatigue. I'd much rather save lives than end any. Also, I heard Ino could've been saved had there been more skilled medics." She ended softly but still tried to remain her composure. "I'm tired now! Gotta catch the Z's when I can. Bye, sensei."

He looked at her with a slight tinge of regret, "bye, Sakura."

It was a good thing her ex-sensei was perceptive enough to notice the tears welling in her eyes. Really good. She hated letting others see her cry. It was a rough day for Sakura. But then again, it was too for other ninjas in the war.

"Are you sure you won't have any regrets, Sasuke?" The masked figure scanned him with sharp eyes. "I cannot afford any fallout. Those fools believe that Naruto will soon kill me and end this war. How stupid can they get?" His chuckle made the atmosphere all the most menacing. He was ruthless, willing to strike and manipulate to his own benefit. He had no morals or wanted any. Emotions such as love were long destroyed by him; now, he only desired more power.

"Hn." Sasuke replied coldly. He was a good pawn, rendered even colder by his loving ancestor. "I'm prepared. Worry about someone else."

"Hm...good. I have the highest of expectations for you, so do not disappoint me."

With that, Madara disappeared into the dark night, leaving Sasuke alone to stare into the dark nothingness with his blank eyes.

The next day for Sakura was exactly the same as the one before. First, she'd wake up in her small camp bed and stretch. She missed the comforts of her real bed greatly, and hated how sore her back was. Again. Next, she would remember Ino was gone and so will many others. She'd curse the reality of war and sigh. After she was all cleaned and dressed up, she'd grab breakfast in the mess hall. Most of the days, nobody she knew was there, so she was forced to socialize with others. She made a mental note to herself to not get too attached, or else.

Today she was sitting with a couple of Lightning ninjas. Unfortunately, all of them were young, hormonal girls. She wondered how the heck Lightning could produce so many skilled ninjas who were so immature emotionally.

"Good morning!" Kimiko greeted her warmly. She was a pretty girl and belonged to a noble family. She was only the friendly face since all the other girls seemed to be glaring at her.

"Oh it's you." One girl said acidly. Her name was Mi, and true to her name, she was gorgeous. The girls surrounding her threw Sakura dirty looks, too.

"I heard you're going on a date with Natsu-kun." Naomi said. Another thing to be noted was most Lightning girls were beautiful. This was probably cause Lightning was known for producing tan and blonde girls, due to an abundance of beaches and beauty products there.

"Yes, I am." Sakura replied calmly.

Kimiko said proudly, "It was bound to happen. Natsu was always head over heels for her!"

"Che. Yeah right!" Mi replied. "There's nothing special about her, except she looks like a freakin ten-year old."

Now Sakura was insulted. So what if she was flat-chested? Or if she had big, innocent green eyes? Didn't they bother to see that, ahem, she was a mature and self-actualized person, unlike them?

And that was when Natsuhiko sat down at their table. He had the luck to appear when the time was right, and frankly, Sakura was relieved to see him. But what he did next, she was not.

"Hi, Sakura." He casually put an arm around her. "So you've seen my girlfriend."

All the girls gasped in awe; Mi and Naomi looked like they were going to have an aneurysm.

"B-but, Natsu-kun!" There were multiple protests and a few even left the table.

Sakura finished her breakfast in awkward silence. She finished her tea in one gulp and stood up. She was surprised to see that Natsuhiko finished before her, and he was patiently waiting for her at the exit.

"Why did you do that?" She fumed. "They'll kill me!"

He chuckled. He liked making her agitated, even though on the surface he was a perfect gentleman. "Those girls hated you before on my account, but they're mature enough to respect you for your skills. Now that you're mine, or I'm yours, they wouldn't dare to lay a finger on you. They can't even say anything bad now." He walked her to her tent. "Remember, today at six."

"I would never forget." She flashed him a bright smile. "See you then!"

Sakura glanced through her "wardrobe." Her little clothing rank revealed the few articles of clothing she had- one dress, a couple of tops, a skirt, and a couple of shorts. She didn't even know why she brought them, probably cause she had to fulfill her vanity. Yes, she was a kunoichi, but she was a girl nonetheless.

She picked out the strapless dress, all white and fell slightly above her knees. Then, she took out her makeup bag and searched through it. She remembered shopping with her friends at a Konoha civilian drugstore. Ino insisted on buying some things for her to "make her forehead less wide." That was a lie obviously; Ino just wanted her best friend to start acting like a real girl.

She took out her handheld mirror and pulled out the mascara wand. Slowly, she brushed the wand against her dark lashes, easing herself before the date. Goodness, she was really acting like Mi or Naomi right now. She couldn't help it, this distraction was good, even necessary. She decided against using eyeliner, since she didn't want her already doe-like eyes to appear like she was a deer in headlights. She didn't need blush either; she could do it naturally. But she did use her lip gloss. Yup, she was pretty good. Not as good as having Ino or Hinata around, but still, she knew how to do this. _They would be so proud of me right now, getting dressed up for a date alone. Well, they'd be excited for me to even go on a date. I should be glad they aren't here, or else my ears would probably go deaf from all their shrieking. _She grinned reminiscently at the thought of something so teenage girlish.

"Knock knock." Natsuhiko said.

"You know there's no door." She smiled. "But I do appreciate your respect for tradition." "Yes," he replied, "and you'd probably yell 'just wait ten minutes.' Anyway, you look good."

Her face reddened at the compliment. She did look innocent, nothing what a kunoichi should look like.

They left her tent and he led her onto a small road. She didn't know where they going, or that there could be a place in their camp that could be used as a date site. Nonetheless, she followed him quietly.

"Is this your first date?" He asked her casually.

She nodded. "But I have had a few crushes here and there. Sadly most guys in my village are not the dateable kind."

"This is my first date too." Before Sakura could bombard him with why's, he said, "as you've seen, all the girls in my village are very pretty. They're also very shallow. When I first met you, I didn't really notice you because I was used to seeing pretty girls. When I really noticed you was after that battle with the resurrected ninjas, led by Haku and Zabuza. I was injured and then you rushed up to heal me. You healed me in a few seconds and after that, you didn't even fangirl or tell me your name. You simply went on to the next patient. You didn't care whether I was Natsuhiko or some random shinobi, you treated us the same and saw us with equal importance. That's why I like you- because you're willing to look past our facades."

He finally ended his little speech and looked a bit awkward. It was a love confession, but heavily veiled. It was rare for him to lose his cool, but he was willing to risk it for her.

"Thanks." She whispered and grasped his hand in hers. He looked down and instantly knew what it meant. She was asking for protection.

Everyone needs security, even Sakura.

To Sakura's surprise, there was somewhere romantic in the campsite. It was a little river, secluded from the rest of the world. Natsuhiko had told somebody to prepare the date, since on the ground there was a little picnic with sushi, soba, teriyaki...many delicacies Sakura hadn't had in what seemed like years.

The evening passed by light-heartedly, and it was what Sakura believed a traditional date should be like. After a few hours, he walked her back and gave her a peck on the cheek.

This little gesture made her carry a faint smile till breakfast, making the Lightning girls even more jealous.

She couldn't care less.

Sadly, this little distraction didn't last long enough. It was broken by the urgency of war and-

"Uchiha Sasuke spotted close to this area, did you hear?"

"I heard he' going to attack us!"

"Are you dumb, of course he is! He's Akatsuki. Darn, there's going to be some large casualties today."

She couldn't wait to rush out of the mess hall.

Sasuke was close and Naruto wasn't here.

Oh, crap.

**TBC**

How'd you like my new story? Which I will finish by the way (this was in my New Year's Resolution).


End file.
